Our thanks to the business and resident groups who came to our series of workshops this week: some lively discussions around how to improve the area around Eccleston Place and Victoria Coach Station were discussed, and the team have some interesting insights to report back upon.

The Shaping Wood Wharf exhibitions and workshops took place in mid-October, and provided a very helpful steer from the community as to how the plans should develop. We are busy analysing the data from the feedback captured here and in our initial walk and talk and canvass card discussions, and will share this with the masterplanning team and local community shortly.

The final series of public workshops and exhibitions prior to a planning application submission are set to take place at the end of October. Our thanks to all who have taken part, and to the Community Liaison Group, who met this week.

The Final Masterplan was presented to community groups in July of this year and the architect team have been working hard towards a planning application submission this winter. Our next series of events takes place in early November, with our Community Liaison Group reconvening next week for a preview of the final architecture and discussions around the cultural uses and ground floor uses of the site: how will it look and feel at a human scale in the future?

The Land South of the High Street & Waterfront – Brentford planning application was submitted to LB Hounslow Council in September 2012. The Statutory Consultation process then began, and in order to help local people gain access to all of the plans in one place alongside images of the scheme and models, Ballymore Group commissioned Soundings to stage an exhibition in a local cafe on the High Street, to allow people to see the plans and give their representations to LB Hounslow through a simple feedback form. A total of 185 people attended the exhibition over the course of four days.

September sees us busily working on various projects, at different stages.

SHAPING WOOD WHARF, ISLE OF DOGS

Soundings have been appointed by Canary Wharf Group Plc to help facilitate a public consultation on new proposals for the redevelopment of Wood Wharf. There is now an opportunity to reconsider the approved masterplan: Wood Wharf has the chance to develop into a more significant place by varying the commercial offer with greater diversity of workplaces, new neighbourhoods and a new mixed-use district. A series of public walk and talks and pop-up street consultation events are being staged over the coming weeks, followed by our first workshops in early October. Find out more here: www.shapingwoodwharf.com

LONDON DOCK, WAPPING

London Dock is the name for the former News International site in Wapping which is now owned by St George. We are consulting with the local population of Wapping for the London Dock project which has just launched, with our first exhibition held on 8th September. Over 200 people have engaged with the process so far and we are building towards design workshops next week. Find out more here: www.londondockconsultation.co.uk

MAKING ECCLESTON PLACE

We are working with Grosvenor to gather ideas from local residents, businesses and stakeholders to inform the vision for a new neighbourhood in southern Belgravia that people can be proud of. A series of pop-up events are taking place across the area from Tuesday 18th September through to Monday 24th. For more information, please visit: www.makingecclestonplace.com

DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR PINEWOOD STUDIOS

We would like to thank those who attended the second series of workshops about the development framework for Pinewood Studios, which took place earlier this week. A drop-in exhibition is being held today and tomorrow, for anyone who was not able to make it to have a chance to share their views. Please find out more by visiting: www.pinewoodgroup.com/pinewoodexpansion

A quick update from us here at Soundings. We have been very busy, with new projects beginning, team mates leaving (Savitri off to Los Angeles!) and new recruits joining. A summary of our projects follows below.

Final Masterplan – Shell Centre Redevelopment

Qatari Diar and Canary Wharf Group are the Joint Venture developer group for the redevelopment of the Shell Centre site, which sits between Waterloo Station and the South Bank, just near to the London Eye. For the past eight months Soundings has been engaging with local residents, businesses, community groups and representatives as Squire and Partners’ masterplan for the site has been developing. Our most recent event was the Shell Centre Dialogue – Final Masterplan exhibition and workshops (24th and 25th July). See more on the project website: www.shellcentredialogue.com

Development Framework for Pinewood Studios

Pinewood Studios is starting a process of consultation with local people and commercial stakeholders on how Pinewood Studios can improve its facilities and services to meet the changing demands of the global screen based industries. Soundings has been appointed by Pinewood to act as an impartial member of the team, with a remit to ensuring that the thoughts of the community and stakeholders are considered in an open way to support a genuine process of dialogue between all those involved. A series of pop-up events and walk and talks took place in June of this year, culminating in a workshop on 18th July. Further public workshops are intended for early / mid September. More information on the project can be found here.

Brentford High Street Masterplan

We have been working with Ballymore Group on the public consultation and engagement for the redevelopment of the South side of Brentford High Street. The architect team is made up of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Maccreanor Lavington, Glenn Howells and Grant Associates (Landscape Architects). The Statement of Community Involvement is currently being completed following our last public exhibition in April of this year.

The MyBrentford vision starts with what is special about the area: that is its history, the waterside and cultural values. Opening up the waterside to the High Street and community, making a place based on a mix of retail, leisure and cultural uses ranging from the large to small scale, established and independent, will create a viable and unique destination. It is also about retaining historic aspects from buildings of heritage and local interest to the reinstating of the ‘Yards’ – the lanes that historically linked the High Street to the waterside and incorporating industry. By combining the new with the old and with design invention in response to environmental constraints a sustainable future can be envisaged. Find out more here.

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE

Lend Lease have engaged Soundings to support Lend Lease in its public consultation.

Soundings are following a three stage process to help structure dialogue and engagement with the community in connection with the generation of a masterplan for the 9.3 hectares (23 acre) Heygate Estate and a detailed design for Phase 1, Rodney Road. Soundings are also working with Lend Lease and Southwark Council to undertake consultation for proposals for a mixed use residential led development, and new Leisure Centre on the site of the Fusion Leisure Centre. Find out more about these projects at: www.elephantandcastle.org.uk

UNDerstanding Fitzrovia

We are carrying out a research exercise into the part of Fitzrovia which lies in the London Borough of Camden. It has been commissioned by Derwent London who are a long-term investor in central London property, specifically in Fitzrovia, where a large proportion of their portfolio is located. The aim of ‘Understanding Fitzrovia’ is to identify who makes up the local community and the important role local groups, organisations, businesses and individuals have to play in the vibrancy of this area. We wish to understand what the local community most values and what its needs and future aspirations are. Find out more here.

Soundings’ sister company Industri[us] stages its first events in a couple of weeks’ time as part of the London Festival of Architecture, 2012. Read on to find out more.

What: A series of events and entertainment for all ages are planned by Industri[us]

Where: Just opposite the Canning Town Underground Station on a development site between Silvertown Way and Clarkson Road (formerly Montesquieu Estate), London, E16 1EA.

Paint bombing the London Skyline – Help build a giant catapult, and take a shot!

Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th June

11am – 4pm each day

Join renegade researchers Guerilla Science and engineers from Buro Happold to build a giant catapult, and take aim at a target range of our city’s most iconic buildings. With the help of engineering expertise, learn to build a massive slingshot and see who can fling their paint filled missiles the farthest. Come help us make an even bigger mess of a demolished site in East London. Fun for all ages. All architects must be accompanied by a child.

The event is powered by Industri[us], a collaborative action that reworks and revalues former waste products, transforming them into objects that are useful and desirable. If you would like to donate materials or indeed models to our reconfigured ‘London’ please contact Clare (clare@industri-us.org) or Kat (kat@industri-us.org)

We have been busy over the past few months, and events are under way on many projects.

Shell Centre DIALOGUE

Last chance to see the Shell Centre redevelopment project Draft Masterplan exhibition this Saturday, 26th May at 2 York Road, SE1 7NE. More details available at www.shellcentredialogue.com

elEPHANT AND CASTLE

The Elephant and Castle consultation continues. Right now an exhibition is taking place showing the Outline Planning Application Documents for Transforming the Heygate. For more information please visit: www.elephantandcastle.org.uk

INDUSTRI[US]

In other news, sister company Fluid’s fledgeling social enterprise Industri[us] has been growing from strength to strength, with activities planned for the forthcoming London Festival of Architecture, where they invite you to paint the city red, orange or even blue: find out more about their exciting collaborations with Guerrilla Science and Buro Happold Young Engineers here.